The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-03
VIII. Il. CRANE CORsRRED
THE FINISHED ACTOR CHATS
PLEASANTLY.
Southern People rs Students of
Shakespeare How the "COmedy
Of Error" was Suggested.

1
rived from L tile Rock yesterday
morning, and the two stare, with their
wives, occupy rooms at the Gsyoso.
Mr.. Stuart Robson and wife spent the
day in driving about the city, vie gir g
the sights and enj )yirg ths balmv,
sDripg ike sunshine. Nc. William II.
Crane, however, took advantage OF the
opportunity offered for rest after hrs
weary and uninteresting ride, and
slept until about O'Clock yes'er-
day afternoon. When he awoke
and descended to the rotunda OF the
hotel sn APPEAL reporter was in wait
ing and mGrrhed the genial gentleman
into a retired corner for quiet talk.
"Mr. Crane, l want to learn some
thing OF your stage experiences, pecu-
liarities Of the ties visited, successes
ate nding your performances, how You
and Mr.. Robson manage to make up
to present similar appearance as the
Two Dromios," the additions and i'm
provements made in your comp my,
what first induced you TO take up the
Comedy Of Errors, and, in fact, every
thing you know"
The artist turned upon the reporter
with a thoughtful, puzzled look, and
Perhaps if you will give me the
heterogeneous in sections cin an
swer them more inteliigently. At sll
events, will try"
"Then first state, please, what marked
distinction or peculisri you have no.
tic d between the people of the South
and her cities you have Wis ted
"lhe most ma ked peculiarly, "said
Mr.. Crane, sic the Empowering adj
miration Of the people of the South
| for Shakespeare The Comedy of Err.
rors ard Merry Wives Of Windsor seem
TO / g thoroughly faniiar TO every in
telligent reader. Why, l have had
them to pick me up on omit ed lines
and words, clearly showing that they
have closely studied his work."
Then you have, 10 some txte1t, re-
vised the two plays, and present a
yer ion peculiarly your ownp
mot exactly, and yet possibly we
have. You see there arc a great many
bro.d lines aud Phrases ia all #
Sbakespeare's plays, and these we have
eliminated as 10 ucn as possible. Yet
the main body or text 10 still there.
This is especially the Gaze in the latter
play, in which there are large num-
Der of them"
"How long have you. been running
the Merry Wirtsf"
"This is the first seas n, and il has
proved succe,sfu beyond our fondest
ante pstions. Wherever it has been
presented the houses have been
packed. We gave it one night in
Little Rock, and the house which
greeted US was said to have been the
largest on record. This has been the
case almost everywhere, and it turns
out tn be regular bonanza"
How about the Comedy of Errors
and its spectacular features?
"The spectacular attraction ia hay
ing big run, and Mr.. Robson aud |
concluded 10 attach it to our arrange
ment. II is not entirely out Of place
In the original, and in our version it
is eminenty appropriate. Plior to re.
newing it lest season, we expended
about $4,000 in scenery, costumes,
ETC., securing them from the leaders
in that line. Even the ehoes were
specially manuiac urad, and at heavy
cost"
"When did you f st begin to pay
the Conledy of Err, 0rs, and what led
you to tempt it2'
"I's fl ret production, l think, was
in San francisco, Cal. The way we
come 10 take IL up is too amusiOg.
R bson was the comedian al the old
Park Theater, New York, and / was
aging in another ore. One day
Hsrt Jack on, a good man ard emf.
nent in the profession, came to me
and sid: Crane, do you know w a.
I'd do if l had the money! No,
sir said L. well, I'll tell you. |
would 90 ure Booths Tbeattr and
make you and Robson play the "Tao
D omios" in the COmecy of Errors
why, you sre foolisH. We are nttl-
iug at all alike, and l could never get
up to thst voice Of HE. Be ides,
Boo this Thea'er would soon ttland
you, no matter how much money you
had.' 1T makes no difference about
tina expense of Booths Theater; We
would begin in nothing LEES. AS for
the makeup and voice, we'd take
chances on that
swell, the idea stuck in my mind,
and for a week could think OF moth
ing else. l went to Robs N end sug-
gested it to him. You're crazy he
said, in his peculiar high strung tcnpe,
and turned away. caught him and |
tried to reason the mat er, but he |
would not listen. WITH this l let the |
question rest, and had almost for |
gotten all about it. SIX weeks after.
wards Robson came 10 me in a con-
fid4nlial manner, and said he bad q
new and brilliant idea. What is i'2' |
] asked. "Lsts tackle the Comedy Of |
Errors he replied. That's not new
| laid, Isuggesle ed that weeks ago.
He den ed II, said he had never heard |
of it before, and stuck to it.
I'VE went 10 work on it, however,
but encountered numerous and seri- |
GU ob.tscl, before any Roadway was
made l went to Europe in search of |
Charles Webb, a faith ul and sterling
old actor over there, who had partici.
pste1 IN and superintended the play |
hundTe de Of times. He bad retIr d,
and it was hard mat er to Iun him |
down. Finally l found him at Liver
pool, and secured scene book marked |
for three dIffereUt styles-fve act,
Il re act aud short farce. This was
almost invaluable, and with it l re-.
turned to America. Arrange ments to |
begin study were entered into, the |
company vas enga 1ed, and then we
sem for Webb. He came and placed
us 10 rehearsal.
81 studied the lines for, goodness
only knows, how lorg, at the came
time eDdeavoriog to work up to Rob.
son'a voice. wou d 90 up to my
wife's room for prsc ice, and she
would reward my per. everancs by
faying 1t was not at ali like it, Then
l would get mad and go away by my
self.
cat length the day for public pro
duction arrived, and we were all |
worked up over the probable outcome.
Frank Mayo and other sctors we're in